NBA: LeBron James passes the record milestone of 40,000 points and continues to climb

La star des Lakers franchit la barre record des 40 000 points. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – ALLISON DINNER

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James became the first player to score more than 40,000 points in the NBA this Saturday, March 2 against Denver, and continues to raise his record to insane heights at 39.

In February 2023, LeBron James climbed a mountain by seizing the points record from legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,390 points). With more than 40,000 points, the "King" of the city of Angels has now flown away, and only he knows to what height he will carry this mark.

LeBron James does not want 30,000 (reached in 2018), he does not want 40,000, but always more, he the basketball player of all records, redefining the notion of longevity for his 21st NBA season, while&# 39;he will celebrate his 40th birthday at the end of the year.

The native of Akron (Ohio) remains unclear about the end of his career: "I haven't decided on the number of seasons that I had left to play", he explained again in mid-February, while he can activate an additional year of contract with the Lakers this summer.

"An incredible feat"

LeBron James needed only nine points to surpass 40,000 on Saturday during a gala match against defending champion Denver, broadcast on a national channel. During the second quarter, he scored a layup after a spin to reach 40,000 points.

"It's a perfect testimony to all the work he did over all these years, to the way he took care of his body, playing at the highest level. It's an incredible feat", praised his trainer Darvin Ham on Thursday, anticipating the event.

Seventh in number of matches

Across all his points, James scored 23,119 with Cleveland in two stints and eleven seasons, where he started in 2003, before returning in 2014 to win a title in 2016. He has 7,919 points with the Miami Heat , where he won his first two rings (2012 and 2013), and now more than 8,960 with the Lakers, whom he joined in 2018 for a title won in 2020. This record is calculated by the NBA only on regular season matches.

LeBron James, four times MVP and four times Finals MVP, also totals 8,023 points in the play-offs. A complete basketball player, he is also 4th in the ranking of best passers (10,838, behind Chris Paul and his 11,748), 8th in interceptions (2,252), 10th in defensive rebounds (9,330), being 7th in total matches contested (1,475), and the player who attempted the most shots (29,007).

"Dream team" at the Olympics

True boss of his franchise, "LeBron" impresses with his aura, his way of leading his teammates, and above all his ability at 39 to physically dominate much younger players. During each match, the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) continues to enjoy powerful rushes sometimes followed by a devastating dunk.

While he has been unstoppable since his debut in 2003, Denver's Serbian pivot Nikola Jokic joked on Saturday at the start of the game by promising to "stop him at 8 points& quot;. Already a double Olympic champion (2008 and 2012), LeBron James has rallied several big names in the league (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant) to form a new "Dream team" at the Paris Olympic Games this summer